Academy X is the west coast mutant school created by Charles Xavier and the Academy X Board of Trustees. Its mission is to educate and protect young mutants. It is also the base of operations and training site of the eXalts. Its original address was Half Moon Bay Road in Half Moon Bay, California. Currently it is located on the Island of Utopia, about two miles off the coast of San Francisco.

History

After yet another destruction of the mansion and a large influx of students following the public revelation of his school’s purpose, Charles Xavier decided it was important to build a second school to protect and teach young mutants. He assembled a Board of Trustees for the new school, comprised of himself, Warren Worthington III, Namor, Ororo Iqadi T'Challa, and Elizabeth Braddock. Each of the members of the board contributed funds to creating the multi-million dollar school complex.

The school and its construction were a secret. Prior to its completion, Xavier resigned as headmaster of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. He left his vote on the Board of Trustees to Scott Summers. Scott and Emma oversaw the completion of the school. Just as it was finished, however, Scott and Emma (as well as the other X-Men) left the planet for an off-world mission. Upon returning, they discovered that a group of graduating seniors had taken over the school in their absence. Impressed by their performance, Scott and Emma offered these seniors the chance to be the inaugural staff of Academy X.

The school was originally known as “The Academy,” a private school for students in grades 9-12 to prepare them for college education. Knowledge of the school’s true function (a private school for young mutants) later became public knowledge. The mansion has been built for personal comfort, space and security. There are ample living and study spaces for the students, providing both relaxation and quiet.

In general, the above-ground mansion is for use as a school as well as living quarters for the teachers and staff. The basement level, which houses the school’s power system, is for the faculty, staff, and specially authorized personnel only (such as the head boy and head girl). This is, of course, for security reasons. Though Academy X does not contain the advanced science found in Xavier’s Academy, such as alien technology and imports from the future, it is still built with impressive security features. It has a non-lethal arsenal to deter invaders. It also has an advanced Danger Room for combat simulations and training. Considering the recent problems with the sentient version of the Danger Room, Academy X relies on older, yet still advanced, styles of technology. The Danger Room can also be configured to provide holding cells in a pinch. Academy X also has an advanced War Room, an underground hangar for an older model Blackbird, as well as plenty of lab and infirmary space.

Outside of classrooms and living spaces, there is a communications / security room which also houses the computer mainframe, a garage, a gym, a library, a computer lab, a large pool, and a workshop. There is also a separate building for use as an inter-faith chapel and activity building. The Academy X mansion is only the central point of the estate, which in itself is quite massive. The grounds are surrounded by a security fence dotted with hidden weapon emplacements.

Academy X also features student “teams”, just like the ones at the east coast school. These teams are the Ardents, Corsairs, the Excelsiors, the Exemplars, the Hellions, and the Paragons. Each team has a staff “advisor” and a student “leader”.

The school offers classes according to California state requirements. There are additional classes to teach students self- defense and to use their powers. X-Men history, tactics classes, and ethics classes are mandatory. Driver’s education classes, EMT classes, and independent study opportunities for seniors are also offered.

Following the wedding of Bastienne and Jessica, the school was attacked on its opening day. Doombots from the future followed Dagan Lightfoot into the past in an attempt to kill her. This was only the first of many attacks on the school. Over the years it was attacked by The Monitor (along with two Sentinels), Mystique (once as “Magneto” and another time by using the Danger Room robots and an unleashed vampiric Jubilee as distractions), Cassandra Nova, Purifiers (resulting on the destruction of the school’s garage on two separate occasions), Academy M, Humanity Now! protestors (with Reaver technology), zombie students, Wolverine and Japanese assassins, Maya (through Cerebra and through mind-controlled sleeper agent, Janelle), S.H.I.E.L.D. (when arresting the eXalts), and vampires.

Towards the end of Academy X’s first year, Michael “Discord” Schwartz revealed the existence and location of Academy X to the media, causing the school to gain a lot of attention. This resulted in anti-mutant protestors ringing the school on several occasions.

During its first year of operation, the staff discovered that Academy X housed a secret Cerebro backup unit, called Cerebra, in a hidden underground chamber. This unit was used to house the imprisoned psyche of Cassandra Nova. A group of sophomores, manipulated by Nova, freed her from the device. The result was the explosion and resultant destruction of Cerebra. Later, however, a team from Academy M infiltrated the school (using intelligence from Daniel “Survivor” Robitaille) to retrieve the Cerebra unit. They repaired the device and escaped with it.

For its second year, Academy X took in the remnants of Academy M and expanded. A new activity building / chapel was built in the backyard that had space for two new teachers: recent graduate Cameron LaPrue (“Vortex”) and new hire William “Mac” McAllister (“Medic”), later William "Mac" Strange ("Mystic"). Due to headmaster Ruth Aldine’s apparent death, Bastienne Noel was promoted to that position. There were other staff changes. Dane and Bastienne shared the business manager responsibilities. Lucius left his teaching position to be the school technology officer. Jessica focused more on her duties as school nurse. David also began an official “Combat Club” that became quite popular with students. Other clubs, such as Cameron’s “Flight Club”, were also started.

The student staff for the second year was comprised of Rafé “Lobo” Lopez (head boy), Melissa “Pixie” Gwynn (head girl), Amanda “Sorceress” Winters (prefect), Dondre “Shaft” Cook (prefect), Joni “Chi” Lang (prefect), and Santo “Rockslide” Vacarro (prefect). When Joni is killed and Melissa is arrested, Amanda is promoted to head girl and Lisa "Lift" Wright and Tierra "Vibe" Coleman are promoted to prefects.

A memorial garden was created at the school for the losses of Academy X staff and students that had nowhere else to be buried. A memorial statue for the lost students of Academy M was placed in this garden, as well.

The school’s security systems have been upgraded over the years, including installing motion detectors, explosive sensors, and more.

In 2010, the main section of Academy X was destroyed by Xarus, Lord of the Vampires (the student housing and classrooms, as well as the basement and chapel / activity building were unaffected).

Recently, due to legislation requiring mutant registration and increasing anti-mutant hostility, Dr. Strange aided in raising Asteroid M as a sanctuary for the school off the coast of California.